The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-07-08
The Farm.
Hedge and Barb Wire Fence.

LuOuSauUS duu SOIu pEVU6UIy OuC Auu'
dred thousand during the past 20 years
allow me to say that cannot but feel
interested in the renewed impetus this
business is receiving from parties who
have plants to sell. 1 have no pecun.
iary interest one way or the other, but
as farmers son must look at this thing
in its practical bearings, and hope some
of my friends will excuse me if drop
a few ideas that may prevent some Of
them from getting "sold" or being
more deeply involved in this hedge
business than they Can comfortably get
out of.
can probably give you, Gf it is
needed) from the Secy. of the State
Board Of Agriculture Of Penua.. his re-
port giving the cost Of an Usage hedge,
planting and care Of same for the first
three or four years. which would give
the average estimate given by farmers
ov er the whole State Of Penna. I have
not them at hand, but know I filled up
blanks for Secy. Edge and he had an
exhaustive report upon the subject, a
few years ago. published in his reports.
1t is enough to say that the first cost Of
plants, setting them and trimming for
the first three gears is very small
item as compared with subsequent cost
of maintenance. Getting ready for the
plants especially where an old fence is
in the way and stones, bushes, etc. are
to be removed is the greatest labor, and
this the farmer has to do in any case
He also has to cultivate the land on
both sides the first season if he would
haye it grow well, and this he must do
for the company as much, or perhaps
more, than if he planted himself, and
this requires more time than planting.
That wires interlaced will lessen the
labor of trimming hedge, after it is
four years old, is not asserted, and it is
here, after the hedge gets old and
strong, that the real work and expense
begins. Secondly, if the hedge grows
as is contemplated, it will make no
material difference whether wire inter-
laced at the ground is barbed or plain
nor viii it need great number Of sta
Piles to hold it in place or keep the
plants down. Any temporary fasten
ing is as good, for after growth starts
they become inextrioably interviewer,
and no animal cares to investigate
whether there is y wire there or not
The only place where We have found
wire ofany assistance here, was in some
old hedges that had been cut back
within 8 feet of the ground after hav,
ing become too tall, and had some
spaces between the old stumps where
animals could push in, until the new
gro with made all thick and tight again.
With more than three miles of fences
of this kind, to be cared for by one set
of farm hands, and some now more IL an
twenty years old, parts Of it must oc.
casionally be neglected, and we know
something of the care that lage hedge
requires.
A we'll kept hedge is ornamental as
we'll as useful, but to have it we'll kept,
it must be trimmed twice and better
three times year, and the first time be-
tween corn planting and harvest, when
every available man is busy with other
necessary work, SO that those who al.
ready have hedges will not be hasty to
add more, unless it be in places where
there are other purposes to be subserv.
ed than that of fence.
A post fence with chestnut rails, (lo.
Gust posts where they can be had) may
last twenty years without costing any
thing for repairs, and the rails where
kept dry may last many years longer.
A. r. Magraw could possibly tell us
what fences of this sort which his father
put up, cost, and q large part of it is
good yet. though built just after the
war when prices were high.
1t is much easier to keep such u
fence row clear Of trash, and the cost OF
trimming would build 3 good fence
every twenty years, SO BY common con-
sent, farmers have been going it slow
in the hedge business, especially since
link barb wire has come. I mention
link barb wire as having certain elastic
property to keep it taut in hot or cold
and can be taken down or moved
like chain, without kinking up, as all
twisted ribbon wire will, or any other is
liable to, composed Of continuous
strands. The barb is long enough TO
make cattle respect it, but not so dan.
gerous as some with longer spines, three
in place, that was first introduced
We want less fences instead of more oi
them, and some that can be easily
moved and it is probsble We will find
such in the near future with iron pos tS
as cheap as. wooden ones. But while
locust will grow as easily and rapidly
as it does we can provide enough Of it
for this purpose.
Ifhedges are to be more extensively
used as road and line fences, we need
machinery to trim them that can be